


a hell of a feeling

by saiditallbefore



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: Bank Robbery, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:15:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28210761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saiditallbefore/pseuds/saiditallbefore
Summary: Dinah and Harley both get caught up in a bank robbery.It's a typical day in Gotham.
Relationships: Dinah Lance & Harleen Quinzel
Comments: 20
Kudos: 33
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	a hell of a feeling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [funnefatale](https://archiveofourown.org/users/funnefatale/gifts).



The local branch of Gotham Central Bank was typical of the city: a gorgeous old building that was always overcrowded and seemed to be hours away from falling apart. Dinah avoided it whenever possible, especially now that she was no longer employed by Sionis. 

Vigilantism didn’t pay quite as well, but it still only paid in cash.

Dinah had been standing in the line for what felt like entirely too long, when she heard an entirely-too-familiar voice.

“Canary!” It was Harley Quinn, elbowing her way through the line until she was right behind Dinah. She grinned and waved, like they were old friends.

“Don’t call me that,” Dinah said. 

“What are you even _doing_ here?” Dinah asked, keeping her voice low. The only reason she could imagine for Harley even setting foot in a bank was to rob it. And while Harley was in a flimsy disguise— her recognizable hair tucked up under a floppy hat— anyone who had ever met her could guess who was wearing that bright pink blazer and denim cutoffs.

“I gotta cash a check,” Harley said, patting her back pocket.

That almost sounded believable. Except— 

“Can’t you do that at a bodega?” That seemed more Harley’s style than a bank. She didn’t seem like the type to have an account— even at the locations that would open one up to one of Gotham’s more infamous criminals.

Harley shrugged, unconvincingly. “Well, yeah, but I just wanted a change of atmosphere, you know?” 

Dinah raised an eyebrow.

Harley folded like a deck of cards. “I’m setting up a savings account for the kid,” she whispered. 

“For Cass?”

“I went to college, you know,” Harley said. “ _And_ medical school. I was a psychiatrist.”

This only raised more questions for Dinah. “Do you… miss it?”

Harley laughed. “Hell, no. But the way I figure, the kid should have something to fall back on if the whole apprenticeship deal doesn’t work out.”

That was oddly sweet. But before Dinah could remark on it, a half-dozen people wearing ski masks and carrying guns ran in. 

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Dinah muttered. Then, giving a pointed look to Harley, she began to ask. “Did you—”

“ _No_!” Harley sounded far more offended than the question warranted, in Dinah’s opinion. “Look at them!”

She had a point. If Harley was going to rob a bank— _another_ bank, since Dinah had no doubt that she’d done it in the past— she’d do it with some style. These assholes appeared to be the standard issue Gotham goons that could be found working for any of the local mobs. No style, no class, no new ideas.

One of the robbers was threatening the tellers, while the others were herding Dinah, Harley, and the rest of the customers towards the walls, confiscating their purses, wallets, and cell phones as they did so.

Dinah hesitated, then sat down on the floor next to Harley.

“I should do something,” she said. She was a vigilante, after all. She had powers. 

Harley snorted. “And what, get yourself shot? It’s Gotham; the banks all get robbed twice a week anyway.”

That was true enough. A few months ago, Dinah would have told herself the same thing. She’d spent years sitting back, looking away from the problems that plagued the city. Why was it so hard to do the same thing now, for just a few more minutes?

Harley must have seen something on her face, because she scoffed. “What are you even gonna do? If you do that scream thing you’re gonna blow out everyone’s eardrums. And I like my eardrums.”

One of the robbers whirled around to face them, waving the gun in their faces. “Would you two _shut up_?”

Dinah slapped a hand over Harley’s mouth before she could mouth off to the asshole with a gun, and gave the goon a tight-lipped smile. After a long moment, the robber lowered the gun a bit, and turned their attention to one of the other customers.

Hostages, now, really. There were cops gathering outside, cordoning the bank off.

Harley licked Dinah’s hand. Dinah stifled a yelp and yanked her hand back, wiping her palm on her jeans.

“What is _wrong_ with you?” Dinah hissed.

Harley gave her a flat look. 

Dinah supposed that was a stupid question. 

“You’re gonna do something stupid, aren’t’cha,” Harley said— thankfully keeping quiet this time. It wasn’t even a question.

“Yeah.” Dinah glanced around the bank, at the dozen other hostages inside. The robbers kept shooting looks at the cops outside. They were nervous, and nervous people made mistakes— and when guns were involved, those mistakes could get ugly. 

“Here.” Harley pressed something into Dinah’s hand. A set of brass knuckles.

Dinah gave Harley an inquiring look. 

“You’re going to do something stupid anyway,” Harley murmured. She leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes, giving the impression that she was entirely bored with the proceedings.

Dinah suppressed a smile, and slipped the brass knuckles onto her hand. 

Five robbers, all of them with guns. Only one of her, and she couldn’t count on Harley for backup.

Dinah breathed in, watched as the nearest robber paced a few steps closer, and breathed out. She sprung up, kicked the gun away the robber, and punched him across the face. The brass knuckles cut into his cheek, leaving a trail of blood behind.

Her action had already caught the attention of the other robbers. Two of them began shooting, but they were obviously unused to the guns; their aim was off. Still, there were too many innocent people in here. Dinah would have to take them out of play quickly.

She ran across the empty floor toward the next closest robber, dropping into a slide and taking their legs out from under them. The two of them grappled on the floor for a moment before Dinah knocked them out with a blow to the head.

Shots rang out, and Dinah spun around, surprised. For a moment, she was certain that she was going to see one or more of the other hostages, dead. 

Instead, she saw Harley, holding the discarded gun that had belonged to the first robber— and the only people in the bank who had been shot were the third and fourth robbers.

“Oh, _now_ you decide to help!” Dinah exclaimed.

“I wasn’t gonna let ‘em shoot you!” Harley replied, dropping the gun. 

“What the hell is—” The fifth and final robber emerged from the back. Dinah and Harley looked at each other, then moved like one toward them. 

The robber put their hands up, no weapon in sight. That didn’t stop Harley from bounding forward and cold-cocking him across the jaw.

From there, it took only a few more minutes to get things cleared up. The hostages were allowed out of the bank and Dinah promised the cops she’d file a formal report later. Harley slipped past the cops altogether— which was probably a wise decision, given the number of warrants out on her head.

“That was fun,” Harley said. “We should really do it again sometime.”

Dinah shook her head in disbelief, laughing a little as she did so. “Sure. Whatever you say.”

Harley winked at her. “Catch you next time.”


End file.
